“His date might have something to say about that.”
“He has a date?” Who?”
“Someone who you’re no match for. And I say that as someone who’s come to love you, Tami.”
She leaves soon after that, and I look over at my brother from well, my mother, and say what I’ve wanted to for the last half hour. “You’re pretty wise.”
“Yes I am. Which is why you should listen to me, and call Stella.”
“For the last time, I’m not calling Stella. I’m never calling Stella.”
“Then you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought you were,” says a voice from behind me.
I turn to see Mallory Daniels standing with my mom. Mom’s wringing her hands together and looking on the verge of a breakdown. Oh, hell no. We’re still working on our relationship, but I won’t let anyone mess with her. “What the fuck are you doing here, upsetting my mom?”
“She’s not upsetting me. I’m upset because there’s something I should’ve told you a few weeks ago. I was too much of a coward then, and, honestly, I’m still feeling cowardly. But I don’t want any more secrets between us.”
“What more could you possibly have to tell me? Do we have a triplet?”
“I need to tell you the truth about Stella. About what I…and others did to her to make her keep my secret.”
They did something to her? She kept saying she couldn’t tell me, but I thought she was lying. Even when she was collapsing and crying, begging me to listen to her, I didn’t. I sit back down and put my head in my hands. “Tell me.”
“Maybe Brett should leave,” Mallory says.
“I’ve told him everything.”
“And I talk to Stella or her assistant, Kevin, every day.”
“You do?” I ask him, shocked that he’s been doing that.
“Yeah. I wanted to make sure she was okay, but not too okay, so that when you got your head out of your ass, she’d take you back. Since our mother stopped calling her, I felt like someone should, and besides, I really like her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Not even close. But I want to hear this story. We can talk about how she’s doing later.”
I nod, and motion for my mom and Mallory to sit down. Brett moves over to sit next to me. No one speaks for a couple of minutes, so I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow at my mom. She takes a deep breath and looks me in the eye.
“When Reina told me they’d analyzed the tape Chad gave them, I knew I was in trouble. As soon as I saw the pictures, I knew what night that was. Marv and I had argued about telling both of you the truth. I ended up winning the argument, by…umm…persuading him. Anyway, I couldn’t let you find out. I knew you’d hate me. And I knew Stella would tell you. So I had Reina call a meeting and I told them all that Marv and I would hold a press conference and expose the Society if Stella told you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I ask, jumping from my seat to pace around the room. “They do good things, Mom. They save people.”
“I know. And I’m not proud of what I’ve done. Because it wasn’t just that. Stella came to me and begged me to tell you. She said Chad would eventually tell you, but I wouldn’t listen. I was horrible to her and, again, threatened her with exposure. You don’t know how badly I feel.”
“Not as badly as I do. Or the other women at the Society,” Mallory says.
“What the hell did you do to her?”
“We used guilt to ensure her submission. At one point, Reina was sure that she was going to tell you so I flew in and asked her if she’d be able to live with herself if we failed to save people just so she could hold onto a relationship with you. We had to protect ourselves, but sacrificing Stella was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. She loves you so much, Kace.”
“I hate you. I fucking hate all of you. How could you do that to her? How could I do that to her? I should’ve known. I should’ve listened to her. Why the hell didn’t I listen to her when she needed me?”
Oh God. I hate myself most of all. The things I said to her. The image of her curled up and shaking as she cried. All the times I told her it didn’t matter if she had to keep something from me. The way she made herself stand up to me at the end.
I can’t take it, so I grab the lamp next to me and fling it across the room. Then the vases and decorative things. The chairs and end tables are next, but it’s still not enough. My mom and Mallory have left the room—and probably the house—but Brett’s still here with me. I flip the couch over and fall to my knees.
He kneels beside me and holds me as I cry for what I’ve lost. Who I’ve lost. I had the most amazing woman in the world, and I gave up on her. On us. She said I’d have to beg if I came back, and I’ll do it. I’ll crawl on my fucking hands and knees to her door and beg. I know I promised her that I would never beg, but this is one promise I have no problem breaking.
I hug Brett, and stand up. Before I can tell him my plan, Wayne and Brooke walk in. “What happened in here. Did ya’ll have a rave or something?”
“Get the fuck out of my house, bitch.”
“I’m here with Wayne.”
“Get out,” he tells her.
“Wayne.”
“Bros before hos. If he wants you gone, you’re gone.”
“What about the gala?”
“He’ll go with you to the gala, but don’t come around before or after,” Brett tells her.
She storms out, and we both look at Brett. Wayne speaks first. “Why would you say I’d go with her?”
“Because it’s going to be fun when you leave her for Tegan.”
“Tegan’s going to the gala? Why? How?” Wayne asks. I wanna know, too.
“Because she likes Chris, which means she hates Brooke. So, she’s coming to teach her a lesson. You’ll play along, right?”
“Fuck yeah. I’d do anything Tegan wanted me to do.”
I’m confused. “How does Tegan even know Chris?”
“He needed a makeover so I hooked him up with the Foundation.”
“You mean you hooked him up with Stella.”
“Well yeah, and I’ve seen pictures. He’s looking even hotter than you. And Kevin says she’s also turning him into a confident alpha. He even told off Matt Corrigan the other day.”
“Is Stella going to the gala?”
“She’s his date. And I’ve seen what she’s wearing, too. You’re going to be on your knees, begging, even if you weren’t planning on it.”
“I was actually planning to get on a plane to Vegas and beg her for another chance. This will be so much better.”
“And he’s going to be doing more than begging when he’s on his knees,” Wayne says.
“Well yeah, but I also owe her a date,” I tell them with a smile.
Chapter 16
Stella
Tonight’s the night. Chris is going to unleash his inner alpha on the unsuspecting assholes in his life. And I’m going to see Kace after almost a month apart. We’re both ready to go into battle.
I’ve dressed him in a black suit that’s tailored to hug all the muscles he’d been hiding. The boy’s built. Not like Matt or Nate, but he’s rocking some awesome biceps, pecs, and abs. Under the suit, he’s got on a deep blue shirt that makes his eyes pop. I convinced him to wear no tie, and unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt. I have his hair spiked and messy so that it looks like he just rolled out of bed after fucking a woman hard. To complete his look, I’ve given him a new pair of glasses. He’s totally embracing the smart mixed with the sexy, and Tegan and Kevin both looked like they wanted to climb him when we walked out of the guest house bedroom.
I’m looking hot, too. I can say that since it’s mostly the dress. I had the designer alter the black dress Kace liked. The long sleeves and length are gone. So it’s short and deliciously sheer. My tits look great, and it’s doing all kinds of favors for my ass. I have high heeled booties on that are shiny black with a sheer panel in the middle. My hair’s up in a twist wit
h a little cascade over the back of my head that just brushes my back. If he doesn’t beg when he sees me in this dress, then I don’t know what to do. He has to beg, though. I won’t settle for less. Even if it means he has to break a promise for the first time in his life. I’m worth at least that much.
We let Tegan walk in ahead of us. She goes right up to Wayne and sits on his lap. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her like he wants to eat her alive. Which he does. I can tell exactly who Brooke is because she looks like she might literally explode. And when Tegan leads Wayne to the dance floor, she does.
“What are you doing, Wayne? You said you didn’t want to dance.”
“I don’t want to dance with you. I’d do anything for Tegan, though. Anything.”
“Yes you will, baby,” Teeg says as she grinds on him.
She’s laying it on thick and we’re loving every second of it. “Damn, Stella. I shouldn’t have enjoyed that as much as I just did, but it was pretty awesome. He didn’t even hesitate.”
“Kryptonite,” I remind him with a smile.
Brooke sits back down and tries to look like she doesn’t care. That’s our cue. We walk in and I see her mouth drop open. Tami looks like she might faint. Kace looks happy to see me. He should.
Chris does exactly what I told him to. He walks me over to where they’re all sitting. “Hey, Kace.”
“Hi Chris. You’re looking good.”
“I know.”
Kace almost spits out the beer he just took a sip of. Then he’s smiling at me. “You’re good.”
“You already know that.”
“I do indeed.”
“You look desperate in that dress,” Brooke tells me with a sneer on her face. “He doesn’t want you anymore. Did you not get the memo when he dumped you in Vegas?”
“But I’m not desperate. That’s where we differ. I didn’t come here for Kace, I came here to make sure you leave my friend Chris alone. He’s a good guy and doesn’t deserve shit from you just because he didn’t fit into you neat little country club mold. Have some dignity and stop being a bitch.”
“I don’t have to listen to this. So what if you dressed him up, and did his hair? He’s still the same loser as always. Come on Tami, let’s go.”
“I want to stay here. With Chris. If he’ll have me. Will you? I’m so sorry. I know you have a date, but would you please dance with me, so we can talk?”
Instead of speaking, he grabs her from the couch and kisses the fuck out of her. Just like I told him to. When they break apart, he takes her hand and looks over at me. “Thanks for everything, Stella.”
“Anytime, Chris.”
“Oh my God. You poor slut. First Kace dumps you, and now nerdy Chris just left you standing here alone.”
“It’s really none of your business, but I’m going to respond to you anyway. Yes, Kace dumped me. And I’m Chris’s stylist, so my job was to get him and Tami back together. But even if this had been a real date, I’d be happy to send him off with the girl he loves. Oh, and the woman with Wayne? She’s my best friend. I brought her here because he can’t resist her and you need to be knocked down a few million pegs. Anything I forgot?”
“Me,” Kevin says, walking up and kissing me on the cheek, before going to Brett and kissing him on the lips. The guys in the group all look like they want to run.
“Oh yeah, my assistant Kevin is here for Brett. Have a nice night.”
I’ve only gone a few steps before I feel Kace’s hand on my waist and his breath on my neck. “I’m going to beg. Don’t doubt that for a second. And it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re wearing my dress. Or that I’m about two seconds from blowing my load right here in my pants because I’m touching you,” he says as he rubs my hip.
“Maybe you should let me go if you can’t handle touching me.”
“We both know I can handle you, love. My mom and Mallory told me everything, but I shouldn’t have needed them to. I should’ve believed you. I’m so sorry that I didn’t. I was ready to get on a plane to Vegas until Brett told me you were coming here.”
“That’s all really nice, but it didn’t sound like begging, and you’re not on your knees.”
I should let it go. He just said everything I wanted to hear. But he hurt me, and I deserve him begging.
“That wasn’t the begging, but it is coming. And then, if you forgive me, you’ll be coming all night. While I’m on my knees some more.”
“We’ll see.”
I pull away from him and go hang out with Courtney. She loves the “new” Chris. He’s really the same old Chris with a little more confidence and better clothes. I liked him too much to totally change him.
When Brooke and her little coven realize that no one’s paying any attention to them, they leave. I’m pretty sure they won’t be back since Tami and Chris aren’t going to allow themselves to be bullied or bossed around anymore. My work here is done, but I’m not leaving. I want to see Kace sing.
The trio takes the stage, thanking everyone for coming out and supporting such a great cause. They talk about how they’ve been enjoying Austin as they get ready to re-launch the group. They tell the crowd how sad they are to be leaving, but know it’s time to get back to their stage show in Vegas. I know the hotel had given them a month long hiatus, but wanted them back to fulfill their contracted number of performances. I, for one, am very happy about it.
“Before we sing our songs, I want to take it back to the 1980s and sing a song to the woman I love. I was an idiot and walked away from her. But I want her back, and I’m willing to beg.”
The crowd parts for him as he walks up to me. As the first notes of the song start, he drops to his knees singing about how hard it is to say he’s sorry. Of course, he chose a song by Chicago, and not one of his own because this was just for me. When the song’s over, he says the words I need. “I’m so sorry, Stella. I really and truly am. I was the biggest asshole, and the biggest idiot in the world combined when I walked away from you. Please give me another chance to show you how much I love and need my Bombshell.”
I bend over and kiss him, while everyone cheers. He stands and holds my hand as he walks us back to the stage. I stand in front with Tegan, Kevin, Chris, and Tami. We all sing and dance as they perform. Just like the first time I watched him, I get a rose and a kiss between each song. When they’re done, we mingle for a little bit, and then he sneaks us out to his car and drives to the mansion the guys bought here in Austin.
I stop inside the door and just stare at the destruction before me. “Did you get robbed?”
“No. A few days ago, I was told about what other people did to make the woman I love keep a secret from me. I went a little crazy.”
“You left it like this, K?”
“I wanted everyone to remember to never mess with us again.”
“That’s a little twisted, and somehow very hot.”
“Are you feeling horny, Bombshell?”
“I haven’t had your cock inside me in almost a month. What do you think?”
“I think we need to get to my room so I can get on my knees and take care of you.”
“Let’s run.”
We end up walking rather quickly, and I make sure to lock the bedroom door leading her to where my musical instruments are in the attached sitting room. In the middle of them all is a slab of granite on top of some short table legs. I thought it looked cool when I saw it, and I use it now as a writing surface when I’m composing. It’s the perfect height.
I lift her up and push her down. “I’m going to take this dress off later, but not yet. Right now just your wet panties are coming off.”
“How do you know they’re wet?”
“We’re in the same room together which means I’m hard enough to break things with my cock, and you could cause a river to flow.”
“That’s so poetic. Maybe you should write it into a song.”
“You laugh now, but you’ll be screaming soon,” I tell her as I get on my k
nees.
I reach under her dress and tear the thong from her body. Then, I grab her ankles and place her feet on my shoulders, so her heels are digging in to my shoulders through my suit. “No.” she tells me.
“No?” Seriously? She doesn’t want this?
“Take your jacket and shirt off first.”
I kiss her ankles, one at a time, and then lower them down to hang off the table. I do what she wants, and then put her feet back where they belong. Leaning forward, I suck her into my mouth, darting my tongue out to find her clit.
“Kace.”
I smile against her as I continue to drive her crazy with my lips and tongue. I bite her gently, and she flies off the table, digging her heels into me hard. That’s going to leave some marks, and I can’t wait to see them. To see what I made her do to me.
“More, Kace. More.”
She wants my fingers. If this was my show, I’d make her wait a little longer. But tonight is all her. She came back here with me, but I know I still need to work for it, for her. I slide three fingers into her and feel how close she is. I curl my middle finger, making sure to hit her spot.
“Yes. Oh my. God. Just like that. You know what I need.”
Fuck yeah, I do. I keep my fingers moving, but remove my mouth, replacing it with my thumb. I use my other hand to spread her legs wide on the table as I climb over her. I’m off my knees for the moment, but I can’t do what she needs while I’m on them.
She’s biting her lip and watching me as I place my hand by her side to hold myself up a little. I lean over and use my teeth to move the fabric of her dress enough for her nipple to make an appearance. I lick it, and then suck it into my mouth through the sheer fabric. I give the other one similar attention when I free it, and I start to feel her clench around my fingers.
My name falls out of her mouth before she screams. She’s thrashing on the table and I can barely hold onto her as she keeps coming and coming. Damn I’m good, but I’ll also concede that our time apart may have had a little to do with it. Just a little.
“You came so hard, love. I’m going to do that again.”
I start to move my head back down, but she stops me. “Give me your cock. Now. I need to suck you off.”
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